POLK COUNTY -- Online circuit court record show that Grant Pickard, Village of Clayton Police Chief has been charged in Polk County Circuit Court with 4 counts of Class I Felony Misconduct in Office / Excess Authority, 2 counts of Misdemeanor 4th degree sexual assault, 1 count of Misdemeanor Lewd, Lascivious Behavior, and 1 count of Misdemeanor Computer Message – Threaten/Obscenity.
Pickard appeared in Polk County Circuit Court while in custody on September 8, 2017, regarding his criminal charges. The Court has placed him on a $10,000 cash bond with conditions that he is not allowed to have any contact with the Clayton Police Department and he must turn over all property to the Clayton Police Department. Pickard is also not allowed to possess any firearms as a condition of his bail bond.
A prosecuting attorney from the St. Croix District Attorney's Office appeared for the State of Wisconsin as special prosecutor on the case.
The Amery Free Press reports that according to the criminal complaint filed against Pickard, the victim in the case is Pickard's female subordinate officer who alleges that in the summer of 2016, Pickard sexually assaulted her at her house while they were both intoxicated. The victim further alleges that Pickard has continued to subject her to unwanted touching, texting, and other sexual contacts since that incident in 2016.
The Amery Free Press also reports that during the investigation into Pickard's case, Pickard admitted to the sexual contact at the victim's house, but Pickard claims that the sex and subsequent communication of a sexual nature were all consensual. Pickard also claims that the victim only recently began acting 'strangely' after her work performance came under closer scrutiny.
Pickard is set to be back in court this week for a preliminary hearing.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: Sep 12, 2017 8:36 am CDT
